


The Growing Light

by Emiline



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, Five Times, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25799359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiline/pseuds/Emiline
Summary: Five times that Hecate and Ada spent the night in the same room (and sometimes in the same bed).
Relationships: Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle/Hardbroom
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39
Collections: The Hackle Summer Trope Challenge





	The Growing Light

**Author's Note:**

> For The Hackle Summer Trope Challenge Week 2: Five Times.
> 
> Thanks due to cassiopeiasara for letting me use her headcanon about Ada's style of nightwear and why she wears it in the first one. Thank you!  
> Thanks are also due to hovercraft79, who came up with the predicament that Hecate and Ada find themselves in in time four, and suggested Gwen as the culprit and several of her thoughts on the subject. Thank you!
> 
>  **Content Notes** :The third time involves a magical injury which is worrisome but not icky or life-threatening.  
> The fourth time involves characters getting trapped in a confined space.
> 
> Each section stands alone so if you find you need to skip a section, you can search for, for example "The Fifth Time" to skip ahead (each is labelled "The First Time", "The Second Time" etc")

**The First Time**

Hecate had her doubts about the accommodations when she saw the outside of the hotel, but the room, if rather small and cramped, was at least tidy, and equally importantly contained two narrow beds. The prospect of sleeping in the same room as Ada was daunting enough - she wasn’t sure what she would have done if she’d had to share a bed with her. Wait until Ada fell asleep and then curl up on the floor or in a chair, probably, and hope that she woke before Ada did.

“Do you have a preference as to which bed?” Ada asked.

“No.”

“Well,” Ada swung her suitcase onto the bed nearest the wall. “I’ll have this one, then.” She pulled out her skirt suit and hung it up in the closet.

“Goodness, this is small,” Ada said. “Good thing we’re not going to be here long.”

Hecate unfolded the suitcase rack and placed her bag on it. She shook out her dress and carried it over to the closet. Ada hadn’t been exaggerating - if anything, she was being over generous. Even though Ada’s suit was the only other thing hanging in there, there was barely room between that and the mini-fridge for her outfit.

She turned and nearly ran into Ada.

“Sorry,” they both said simultaneously. Hecate’s eyes flicked down to the soft pink fabric Ada had clutched to her chest.

“Just trying to get through to change,” Ada explained, and backed up, giving Hecate space to move back into the main portion of the room.

Hecate pulled out her nightgown. “I’ll change out here while you change in there,” she called, “if that’s alright?”

“Fine,” Ada’s voice, slightly muffled by the door, floated back.

As there was so little room in that sorry excuse for a closet, Hecate carefully folded her traveling dress and placed it in her bag. She’d hang it out during the day tomorrow. She slipped the nightgown over her head and pulled on her slippers.

“Hecate?” Ada called. “Are you done?”

“Yes.”

The door opened and Ada walked out in a nightgown of pale pink cotton with thin shoulder straps. Hecate blinked.

“That is not your usual attire,” she blurted out.

“No,” Ada agreed. “It’s not suitable for school obviously, but I tend to run hot, so I prefer to wear this if there’s no chance of students seeing me.”

Hecate suddenly felt rather ridiculous and Victorian in her long-sleeved, high-necked nightgown that fell almost to the top of her feet. That, and the way seeing Ada’s bare ankles seemed to be raising her core temperature, which made her feel even more Victorian.

“Ah,” she said. Wonderful. _That_ certainly was a valuable addition to the conversation.

“I think I’ll tuck in with a book,” Ada commented.

“A good idea,” Hecate replied.

They settled in with their books. Hecate stared blindly at hers, trying to ignore Ada’s nearness, but the more she tried not to think about it the harder it was to ignore. With a sigh, she set the book down and got up.

“I’m going to get a glass of water, would you like one?”

“Hmm, oh no thank you.”

The door firmly shut, Hecate turned on the water and let out a quiet groan. She filled the glass, drank it down, and filled it again.

When she padded back to the bed, Ada was setting aside her book and turning off the light. “Goodnight,” she murmured sleepily.

“Goodnight.”

**The Second Time**

Ada had had a very, very long day, and now, thanks to the intrepid, enthusiastic and very misguided (literally and figuratively) efforts of Lucy Joyfield and her friends, Ada’s quarters and half the staff wing were part castle, part frog habitat.

“I’m so so sorry, Miss Cackle,” Lucy sobbed over and over. “We never meant for it to turn out like this.”

“I know,” Ada sighed. “And I hope you have learned why it is that you must be more careful with your spell work, Miss Joyfield. We will discuss this more tomorrow.”

“Am I going to be expelled?”

“No, dear, it’s not as bad as that. Now off to bed with you.”

Lucy cast one last, mournful look around and practically fled down the corridor.

“What a mess,” Ada sighed.

“We’ll need to double up for tonight,” Alma decided. “Gwen, will you take Georgiana and Hecate, will you take Ada? I think I’d better keep an eye on Norma.”

They all nodded.

“Thank you, Hecate,” Ada said when they had transferred to Hecate’s quarters. “I know you you value your privacy.”

“I am glad that I can be of help,” Hecate inclined her head. “Besides, Mrs Cackle is going to have her hands full with Norma.”

“Yes, poor dear. At least she didn’t ask Geraldine to look after her.”

“No, that’s not among her strengths,” Hecate agreed.

“Now, where shall I put the cot so that it’s the least out of your way?”

“Cot?” Hecate repeated, as though she’d never heard the word.

“Yes, you know, the infirmary cots. I know I’m not very tall, but I think it’d be a better option than your sofa.”

“If that’s what you’d like.”

“Did you have some other plan?” Ada asked, amused. “A hammock, perhaps?”

“I thought,” Hecate looked away from her. “Well, I thought you’d be most comfortable in an actual bed.”

“I’m not kicking you out of your own bed, Hecate!”

“These beds we have,” Hecate spread her arm, “they’re ridiculously large,” she huffed, “we could share. If you want. It’s ridiculous for one of us to spend the night in something that is not a bed when the bed is far, far larger than one person could possibly need.”

Ada felt as though though somewhere she’d lost the thread of this conversation.

“You could have asked for a smaller bed.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it aside from being oversized. There was no point in asking for something different.”

“You’re allowed to have a bed that you’re comfortable with.”

Hecate made a small gesture that Ada couldn’t interpret. “The question at hand is if you’d like to sleep in a bed tonight.”

Ada had slept on the cots before. It was very tempting to not have to repeat that experience. Sleeping with Hecate—sleeping in the same bed as Hecate that is, had a whole other slew of problems but comfort of the bed was not one of them.

“Are you sure you’d be comfortable sharing?”

“Yes,” Hecate insisted.

Ada looked at her, considering. She was quite sure there was something Hecate wasn’t telling her, and she wasn’t entirely convinced that Hecate was telling the truth about being comfortable, but Hecate seemed to want her to have a bed, and Ada was so very, very tired.

“Alright, then I accept. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You can change in the bedroom if—you don’t have any pajamas, do you?”

“I believe they’re currently part of a tree,” Ada replied with a regretful smile. “I am wearing a shift of sorts under all this, I suppose that will do.”

It was, after all, hardly less than she’d be wearing if any of her nightclothes were available. 

Hecate nodded. “I’ll see you in there, then,” she said awkwardly.

* * *

Hecate was in the bed with the covers pulled up to her chin, staring at the ceiling when Ada slipped into the room.

“It’s alright if you’ve changed your mind,” Ada said.

“I haven’t.”

Ada wiped her hand on her shift and climbed into bed, careful to leave distance between her and Hecate. The creaking and rustlings as she made herself as comfortable as she could under the circumstances seemed particularly loud.

“Thank you,” Ada said.

“It’s nothing. Sleep well.” Hecate turned to face the wall.

Ada lay in the darkness, acutely aware of every centimeter of space between her and Hecate. Great, now she was exhausted and entirely on edge. She took deep breaths, and focused on trying to relax her muscles, one by one. It didn’t feel as though she’d ever be able to go to sleep, but she must have done, because the next thing she knew she was opening her eyes to sunlight creeping across the covers.

She rolled over and saw that Hecate was still asleep, her hair splayed across her pillow, and felt a pang. If they had both chosen this, for reasons other than the circumstances of last night…but wanting what couldn’t have was pointless at best and dangerous at worst. Agatha was proof of that.

Hecate stirred and opened her eyes. “‘Morning,” she smiled.

“‘Morning,” Ada returned. Maybe she was dreaming. That would explain quite a lot.

Hecate reached out and brushed a piece of hair behind Ada’s ear. Then she froze. “Ada?”

“Yes, Hecate?”

Hecate snatched her hand back, her expression sliding into something close to panic. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Ada said as gently as she could, as her heart broke. “I didn’t mind it at all.”

“Truly?”

“Yes.”

**The Third Time**

“How is Gwen doing?” Hecate asked, sitting down in the chair next to Ada.

“Better. Vivian managed to stabilize her.”

“Does she know what happened?”

Ada shook her head. “We haven’t gotten anything more out of the girls. Vivian gave them all a little something to help them sleep, and Dimity and Georgiana are staying with them. They’re all sleeping in the Great Hall tonight.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Hecate frowned. “Even if they badly botched a chant, it shouldn’t have been able to do this.”

“Mother and a few others are continuing to examine the classroom, but,” Ada sighed, “there’s a lot in there, and we have some guesses but it’s going to take a while to exhaust them.”

“How long have you been here?” 

Ada looked at the clock. “An hour or two? I was helping Mother and I’m not sure when I left to come here.”

“When was the last time you ate anything?”

Ada considered this. “Lunch?”

“Go get something to eat, I’ll sit with her.”

“I’m not sure I could eat anything right now.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Hecate reappeared with a tea tray with savory and sweet scones, and digestive biscuits.

“At least have a cup of tea, if I can’t tempt you to a scone or a biscuit.”

“It does smell good,” Ada admitted, and her stomach rumbled.

They each took a cup of tea and a scone.

“She’s a fighter,” Hecate said after a while.“I know.”

“I hope you’re keeping that hot tea away from my patient,” Vivian said from behind them.

“Yes, Doctor.”

Vivian checked over Gwen and the various machines she was connected to. “She’s still stable,” Vivian announced. “That’s a good sign. We’ll let her rest through the night. Some of these tests won’t be complete until morning anyway. Hecate, can I have your help with something for a moment?”

Vivian drew Hecate out of earshot of Ada. “If you can convince Ada not to spend the night in that chair, I’d be grateful. I could order her out, but I suspect she’d just try to sneak back in. If you could convince her that she’d be more use to Gwen with a night’s sleep, that would be better for everyone.”

“I can certainly try. I’m not sure why she’d listen to me if she won’t listen to you.”

“Don’t you? Ada cares very much what you think.”

“As I’m sure she does what you think. You’re the medical professional here.”

“Yes, but you’re important to her, in a way that I am not. No, I didn’t mean it quite the way that sounded - she cares about me of course, as she does all the staff. But you are—“ Vivian stopped, sighed and began again. “Your opinion is important to her. Very important.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Hecate rejoined Ada at Gwen’s bedside. When a quarter hour had passed, and Vivian had come by to check again and was gone, Hecate cleared her throat. “It’s late, Ada.”

“Mmm.”

“There’s nothing more we can do for Gwen tonight. You should get some rest.”

“I can rest perfectly well here.”

“Ada, no one rests well in a chair.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“She won’t be alone, Vivian’s going to stay here all night, and you’ll be of much more use to Gwen if you get some rest, in a bed. You’ll be of more use to everyone else too, someone’s going to have to take over the examination of the classroom in the morning, and that’s not work to be done with a sleep-impaired brain.”

“You do have a point there.”

* * *

Hecate was just about to go to bed herself, when she heard a soft knock.

“Come in.”

Ada appeared, looking sheepish.

“Is something wrong?”

“I can’t stop worrying about Gwen,” Ada said. “I know there’s nothing we can do, but in some ways that makes it worse.”

Hecate guided her over to the sofa, and took both of her hands. “Vivian is one of the best doctors I know. Gwen is in good, eminently capable hands. There is something you and I can do for Gwen, and that is to rest, so that we can be ready to do the things that we are good at, that will help in her recovery.”

Ada squeezed Hecate’s hands tightly. “Would you sit with me here, a few minutes?”

“Of course.”

Gradually, Ada’s grip on her hands slackened, and Hecate came out of a doze to find Ada fast asleep, her head on Hecate’s shoulder. Hecate stood up carefully.

“Ada,” she shook Ada’s shoulder gently. “Wake up.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re going to bed.”

“Do I have to?”

“I’m afraid so.”

She helped Ada up and they shuffled into the bedroom.

“This is your room,” Ada said sleepily.

“Yes, neither of us should be transferring,” Hecate explained.

“If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.”

“Oh good,” Ada said, and collapsed onto the bed. She tugged the blanket from under her and burrowed into the bed. “‘Night.”

Hecate adjusted the blankets and removed Ada’s glasses to safety.

She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Ada’s forehead. “Goodnight.”

**The Fourth Time**

“I know it’s in here somewhere,” Ada muttered.

“Need help?”

“Yes, actually. You remember that device we confiscated from Miss Turner?”

“How could I forget?”

“Her mother is coming by tomorrow morning to pick it up - she has business near Cackle’s anyways and I thought I’d move it to the front of the confiscation cupboard so it’s ready to hand, I just can’t find the dratted thing.”

* * *

Gwen remembered the paperwork while brushing her teeth. It was a little late to be handling such a thing, but all she needed to do was leave it on Ada’s desk, and better to do it now while she was thinking about it.

She gathered the papers and transferred to Ada’s office - there was no point in wandering around in her nightie. She deposited the papers on the desk, and noticed that the door to the confiscation cabinet was slightly ajar. Clearly Ada was working too hard - leaving a lamp on and the confiscation cabinet open at this time of night? Why that was practically begging a student to appear and get themselves into all sorts of trouble. Lucky for Ada that she’d dropped by.

She pushed the door shut, turned off the light with a snap, and transferred out.

* * *

There was a horrible snick behind them.

“Wait!” Hecate yelled, but there was no response. She tried the door, just in case. Nothing. “We’re in here!” she yelled through the door. But either whoever had locked them in there either didn’t care or wasn’t there anymore.

“Oh dear,” Ada murmured, somewhere behind her.

Hecate strained her ears, but there was nothing to hear.

“I’m going to make a little light,” Ada said, and after a moment a warm glow suffused the cabinet.

“It must have been a staff member,” Hecate said. “We would have heard something more if it was a student.”

“Perhaps they’ll come back.”

“They turned off the light out there.”

“Oh.” Ada pressed her lips together. “Someone’s bound to come looking for us eventually.”

“Yes, but it may not be until tomorrow,” Hecate pointed out.

“Then we had better make ourselves comfortable. It’s a pity that no one’s tried to bring in illicit bedding.”

Hecate chuckled. “I shudder to think what that would be.”

* * *

A careful examination of the contents of the confiscation cupboard for anything that might be useful had netted them one cloak that had escaped the lost and found, and three small cushions that emitted rude noises under the slightest pressure. These proved to be simple charms, easy to disable.

“I think we should fold the cloak in half and sit on it,” Ada said, eyeing it. “We’re not going to freeze in here but I don’t keep my office as warm as my quarters, and the floor must get a bit chilly.”

Hecate handed one of the cushions to Ada and attempted to sit on another. It was an awkward size, and not as comfortable as she’d hoped, though it was an improvement, at least temporarily, over cloak-padded floor.

Ada sat down and started giggling.

“Ada?” Hecate asked, concerned that the cushion had some other effect that she hadn’t noticed.

“It is rather absurd, isn’t it?”

“It is.” 

Ada leaned against Hecate. “And we are a pair of fools,” she said gently.

In more ways than one, at least in Hecate’s own case, Hecate knew.

“When we get out we really should make sure there is some way to get out without opening it from the outside. This is a safety hazard,” Hecate said, because it was true, and because if she didn’t keep her focus on things besides Ada nestled beside her, she might wrap her arm around Ada’s shoulders.

* * *

The real problem was there simply wasn’t a way to be even remotely comfortable in their current situation.

“I am definitely too old for this,” Ada muttered, shifting her position once more.

“Do you want to try lying down?” Hecate asked dubiously.

Ada laughed. “Absolutely not. The hardness of the floor will not be improved by my putting more of my body against it.”

“Lean forward,” Hecate said, and Ada did so. Hecate stretched out her arm. “Lean back. Better?”

“A little. Thank you.”

It felt nice. It felt good. And the whole thing was still uncomfortable enough that there was no chance Hecate would so far forget herself as to blurt out her feelings to Ada.

They dozed. At one point Ada insisted that it was her turn to be the pillow, which was how Hecate found herself curled against Ada’s shoulder, with Ada’s fingers running through her hair.

* * *

People who thought that huddling together for warmth was romantic were wrong, Hecate decided. Or more narrow in their definition than they let on. She and Ada were cold, and what they were doing could certainly only be described as huddling, and despite the fact that they were in the closest physical proximity they’d ever been in, for the longest period of time, there was nothing romantic about this at all.

“I’ve decided something,” Ada announced. “You should wear my sweater a while.”

“You need it,” Hecate protested.

“You’re shivering,” Ada countered. She pulled the sweater off over her head and thrust it into Hecate’s arms. “Put it on.”

“It smells like you,” Hecate said.

“Yes,” Ada agreed with a hint of amusement. “I imagine it does.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“I’m afraid so. Put on the sweater, Hecate.”

Hecate pulled it on. It was very cozy, and loath as she was to admit it, she did feel a little better.

“I’ll give it back soon,” she promised.

* * *

“How long do you think before they realize we’re missing?”

“A couple of hours still, at least.”

* * *

“Ada? Hecate?” 

“In here!”

The door opened, and the morning light spilled in.

**The Fifth Time**

“Are you sure you’re not feeling any ill effects from being mollusked?” Hecate worried that evening as they sat chatting over tea.

“I am fine, Hecate,” Ada assured her. “See for yourself.” She took Hecate’s hands and Hecate felt her reaching out with her magic. “See?”

“Yes,” Hecate smiled. “I can’t seem to help worrying about you.”

Ada cupped her cheek. “And it’s very sweet of you. It’s nice to be worried about. It’s only fair, because I worry about you too.”

“You do?”

Ada laughed, a rich, beautiful sound. “Oh Hecate, of course I do. You didn’t know?”

“I knew a little, but not—not that you worried about me the way I worry about you.” She brushed her fingers, feather-light along Ada’s cheek.

“Well I do.”

Hecate’s heart soared.

“There’s more to it than that,” Hecate admitted with quiet hope. “I love you, Ada, deeply.”

A noise like a sob escaped Ada’s throat.

“Ada, I…” Hecate began, bewildered.

Ada grasped her hand and held it tight. “No,” she choked out, “it is because I love you too,” she explained, smiling through her tears. “and I never thought to hear you say those words.”

“May I kiss you?”

“Please”

* * *

“Would you stay with me tonight?” Hecate asked. “Just to sleep,” she clarified. “At least for now. I am so happy, happier than I believed possible and I am not at all sure that I will not wake in the morning and think it was all a dream.”

“Yes,” Ada kissed her. “A thousand times, yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> If there are any major typos, please let me know! I was trying to squeak this one in under the deadline, so I didn't have time to look it over the way I usually do.


End file.
